Doug Jarvis : Low profile, major contributor to Habs
March 25th, 2008 by wrightAs he was as a player, Doug Jarvis as a coach quietly goes about his business and gets great results. The Canadiens ascendancy to one of the elite teams in the league is due in part to the unassuming, effective coaching techniques of assistant coach Jarvis. Jarvis two major responsibilities is overseeing the Habs powerplay, and the coaching of the teams defense men. The Habs defense and powerplay have been two of the most impactful elements of the teams success. That is due in no small measure to Doug Jarvis.
Since joining the team as assistant coach in 2005-06 season, Jarvis imprint on the team has been significant. As a player, Jarvis was a proficent defensive specialist who succeeded by emphasizing strong positional play. As a coach he has applied the same techniques. This season, the Habs have integrated two young defensemen: Gorges and O’bryne into the defense rotation with exceedingly positive results. Both players have continued to improve, and have made very few glaring defensive errors, despite their relative inexperience. Much credit has to go to Jarvis. O’Bryne a big physical defenseman, has not given in to temptation and put himself out of position to land a big check on a player. Rather he has incorporated Jarvis attention to maintaining strong defensive coverage, and effectively playing the angles on opposing forwards in the Canadiens zone. Despite not being exceedingly quick, O’Bryne is consistently able to mark his opponent, due in large part to the teachings of positional play by Doug Jarvis.
The Canadiens potent offense is often generated by the quick counter attack led by the teams defensemen. This season, the Habs defenders often join the rush and carry the puck deep into the attacking zone. The Habs have been one of the most succesful teams in having their defensemen sneak in deep down low creating a quality scoring chance. Despite the higher risk strategy of a defenseman moving up to become an attacking forward, the Habs seldom give up an abundance of odd man rushes into their zone. Through Jarvis’s teachings, the Hab defenders are much more confident in their decision making as to when to join the rush and when to pull back in anticipation of a turnover and an opposition counter attack.
For two years in succession, the Canadiens boost the best powerplay in the league. In a stroke of genius, Carbonneau determined that a defensive specialist (Jarvis) would be a logical choice to run the powerplay because he would be aware as to the strategies employed to negate its effectiveness. With Jarvis coaching the powerplay, the Habs have been ruthlessly efficent in exploiting the man advantage opportunities. Last season, the Canadiens relied heavily on Souray’s slapshot from the point. This season, without Souray, Jarvis adapted the powerplay, by having Kovalev as the main puck distributor. Different strategies, same results, the most dangerous powerplay in the league. With Jarvis implementing strategies, the Habs powerplay utilizes quick puck movement, with forwards and defensemen constantly rotating and finding open areas on the ice that maxamize quality scoring opportunities. Once again, Jarvis adherance to positional play highlites the success of the Habs powerplay.
As a player for the Montreal Canadiens during the teams dynasty of the late ’70’s, Jarvis was often overshadowed by the more high profile players, Lafleur, Shutt,Robinson and others. Nonetheless, in critical situations and the Habs need to protect the lead, Scotty Bowman consistently called upon Jarvis to make the necessary plays with and without the puck to ensure victory. Similarly, as an assistant coach for the Canadiens, Jarvis in his quiet unassuming way is having a significant impact on the teams success this season.
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